I like how the nodes are much less, but they are actually too few and I had some of the rounded corners and lumpy lines that you get if you over simplify. Is there a setting somewhere that will use more nodes and avoid the oversimplified errors?

It is possible to change the simlification threshold, in Inkscape Preferences > Behavior

Brynn, is this new to the newer versions of Inkscape? I'm familiar with changing the threshold value (Preferences>Misc), but the older versions didn't automatically simplify. This is a case where the nodes are too few without performing a simplification. I can't download the newest version to see the differences right now because Inkscape.org is down.

Yes, the setting to change the threshold has been moved in recent versions. It used to be where you mentioned.

I'm not sure what you mean about the nodes being too few to simplify. I didn't watch the video yet. If you don't have a problem with too many nodes, they just don't use Simplify. I also don't understand what you mean about automatically simplify in older versions.

It seems like I heard someone mention the other day, that if you use Simplify on a path which only has a few nodes, it actually adds more nodes!

Well anyway, I'll watch the video, and maybe your comments will make more sense

EditHhmm, nothing in the video about simplify, so I think you might be using simplify to explain what your results look like. So of course, changing simplification threshold won't do anything for you.

But I'm still a little lost about what problem you're encountering with what's in the video.

If you simplify with too high of a threshold Inkscape rounds inside corners and adds bumps to the lines near corners, if you use too low of a threshold it can actually add more nodes. So ideally you want to use a threshold that is just right, though the number varies somewhat on how many nodes you have to start with.

When I tried using the Paint-bucket tool to get an offset, it resulted in a path with so few nodes that I had the rounded corners and bumpy lines that are typical of over simplifying, even though I didn't simplify.

Oh, I didn't realize you were here, so you might not have seen my edit.

But anyway, that seems odd that the Paint Bucket tool is making too few nodes. I wonder if the threshold for the Paint Bucket tool might somehow be affecting that? Let me get out Inkscape and experiment.

It could be because I was using it on one of my svg files rather than an image. I needed to make a couple of mats for it right after Kay posted her video. I think I'll just stick with using a stroke and converting it to path like I usually do.

You were using the Paint Bucket tool on a file rather than image? I think we are having some crossed wires somewhere!

If you were using it on that red object with hearts around the edges, you truly might need to adjust the Paint Bucket threshold setting. And also make sure the whole thing is visible on the screen when you click to apply the Paint Bucket.

The Paint Bucket tool does have some particular issues that you need to understand, to be able to use it effectively. So if the whole entire thing isn't showing on your screen, only the parts that are showing will get a fill color. Or if it was already all showing, but you didn't change the threshold for the Paint Bucket, I can see how that could resemble over simplifying.

Also, the Grow/Shrink setting would need to be different, for different zoom levels.

Also, if your grow setting was too high, it wouldn't even include the "holes" inside the hearts. It would just be filling outside.

Something that I thought was interesting in the video, was that she has set her Paint Bucket tool to have a stroke, and no fill. It's a little counterintuitive for a fill tool! But I can see the wisdom for people using cutters, who are only concerned with the stroked paths.

I actually think that is a much easier way to make the outset text, than the methods I've always used. It might not work as well for all fonts. But for certain fonts, it's a nice shortcut!

The Paint Bucket is actually doing a trace of screen pixels, so if you want better agreement, you would want to zoom in or change the threshold.I put this together as an easy way for Cricut users to make quick offsets for their files because Offset is wonky sometimes. I'm not sure I would use this method or any other involving the Paint Bucket for professional filemaking that needs nice square corners, etc.

I was zoomed in as close as I could and still have the whole shape onscreen. I was just surprised how few nodes it used. Like I had oversimplified without ever simplifying. Mostly I was trying it out on the project that I was working on at the time just to see how it did. Now I need to remember to try it out the next time I want to cut out one of my digi images that has unconnected lines.

Usually when I need to make a mat for one of my svg files I use Stroke and convert it to path. Some extra nodes, but not more than my eClips can handle.

Hey Heather, I just happened to come across some brand new simplify functionality! It's a new LPE in version 0.92, called Simplify. It allows you to simplify and edit the path live - interactive. If it simplifies too much, adjust the number and it goes right back where it was before. It has some other bells and whistles that I don't completely understand yet. But just wanted to let you know about it

EditOMG, and besides the LPE dialog, you can access it directly from the Pencil tool control bar!